The number of new apprenticeship registrations and trades certifications in Canada rose for the first year since 2014, new data shows.

In its report on registered apprenticeship training programs that was released on December 11, Statistics Canada indicates that new apprenticeship registrations rose by 16.6 percent in 2018, and new certifications in the trades jumped by 6.6 percent.

Apprenticeships increase with employment growth

The number of new registrations in apprenticeship programs rose to 79,860 in 2018. Over half (56.2 percent) of the increase in new registrations was in Quebec. British Columbia (+1,490), Alberta (+1,380) and Ontario (+1,210) also reported notable increases.

The increases in new registrations coincided with sustained employment growth nationally in 2017 and 2018. According to the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours, employment growth was most pronounced in British Columbia (+3.6 percent), Quebec (+2.4 percent) and Ontario (+2.3 percent).

Carpenters (+1,250), metal workers (+590) and electricians (+690) in Quebec accounted for the largest share of the increase in new registrations in Canada in 2018. Results from the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours show that the construction industry in Quebec grew by 5.0 percent from 2017 to 2018.

Number of certificates rose

Following four consecutive years of decreases, the number of certificates granted in the trades rose 6.6 percent to 54,520 in 2018.

Results from the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours indicate that employment grew by 4.2 percent across Canada from 2016 to 2018, notably in the construction industry (+5.2 percent). This may have helped apprentices meet the on-the-job training requirements to earn a certificate.

Most of the increase in certificates was in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. In Ontario, the largest share of the increase was in the major trade groups of electricians, hairstylists and estheticians, and automotive service.

Among apprentices, most of the increase in certificates (+79.7 percent) came from those with a Red Seal endorsement. The Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program is the Canadian standard for skilled trades and allows tradespeople to have their skills recognized across the country.

Women registering in diverse trades

Statistics Canada’s data also shows that more women are registering in apprenticeship programs.

Over the last 30 years, the proportion of new registrations by women has doubled, from 6.8 percent in 1991 to 13.6 percent in 2018. Most have joined apprenticeships in such trades as early childhood educators, hairstylists, and food services.

However, the data also shows that more women are enrolling in apprenticeship programs traditionally occupied by men. In 2018, 18.5 percent of all women who entered into apprenticeship programs registered as electricians (4.8 percent); in automotive services (4.5 percent); as carpenters (4.5 percent); as welders (2.5 percent); and as plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (2.2 percent). The proportion of women enrolling in these programs has risen by 3.9 percentage points since 2008.